


Take Your Time

by love_write_edit_sleep



Series: Through The Fire And Flames [6]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abuse, Flashbacks, M/M, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 02:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14298309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Patton and Logan both know better than anyone that recovery takes time. Moving out of an abusive relationship, or an abusive family, takes time to adjust to.Virgil doesn't understand why Logan and Patton don't get angry with him, so he decides to test his boundaries.Virgil is 6.





	Take Your Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lightseed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightseed/gifts).



Adjusting to life with the Sanders was difficult for Virgil. Everything was so different from when he was living with Luke, or with his Dad.

Virgil loved his Dad, but Doyle had rarely been home, often leaving his Son with his brother, Luke. The night Doyle passed away, Virgil had tried to cry, to grieve, only for Luke to mock and ridicule him for being weak and pathetic. Luke had seemed completely unaffected by Doyle’s death.

But now, Virgil wasn’t sure what to do, or how to act in his new home.

Logan and Patton were so nice to him, finally allowing him to grieve for his lost Father, telling him to make as much time as he needed to move on. But that wasn’t the only thing.

When Virgil had accidently dropped Logan and Patton’s wedding photo and smashed it, Logan hadn’t screamed at him. He’d pulled Virgil into his arms and balanced him on his hip, asking if he was injured before sitting him on the sofa and sweeping up the shattered glass.

When Virgil had refused to eat Patton’s meal after skipping his nap, Patton hadn’t told him to go to his room without dinner. He’d simply smiled and told Virgil the only other thing he could offer was a sandwich, and he didn’t get angry when Virgil said no and ate the meal anyway.

When Virgil had kicked Logan after getting angry at him for washing his hoodie without asking, Logan hadn’t slapped him. He’d gotten down on one knee and explained to Virgil that he was sorry for taking it without asking, and explained violence wasn’t an answer to anything.

When Virgil had stolen Patton’s phone and used up all his data watching cat videos, Patton hadn’t locked him in a cupboard to think about his actions. He’d laughed and told Virgil that was usually where his data went anyway before sitting besides the boy to watch the cats.

When Virgil had woken the two up after a nightmare, they hadn’t yelled at him, or hit him, or locked him in his room. They’d made a space for him and held him until he finally fell into a fearless slumber.

Virgil didn’t know how to respond to the kindness, to how different things were. Sometimes he wanted Logan to hit him, or Patton to yell at him, just to go back to how things were. He didn’t like the change. It was too different.

Virgil decided things needed to go back to the way they’d used to be.

* * *

Logan seemed the easiest to make angry, at least, in Virgil’s opinion. He was always serious, sometimes stoic, occasionally annoyed.

Virgil found Logan sitting on the sofa in the living room, his laptop balancing on his lap as he typed almost furiously. He clambered onto the sofa beside Logan and smashed his hand down on the keyboard before glancing up at Logan to see his reaction. Logan blinked, then looked down at him.

“Yes, Virgil?”

“Nothing.” Virgil muttered. Logan put the laptop aside.

“I do not believe that is the case.” Logan told him. Virgil scowled. Why was he being so nice to him? Why wasn’t he threatening to smash his hand with a hammer or something? Why wasn’t he angry?

“I miss Daddy.” Virgil muttered. He wasn’t lying.

“I know… I… do not know what to say to ease the pain you must be feeling… but it will not last forever…” Logan sighed. “That’s not the only thing, is it?” Logan asked. Virgil blinked. “I know it has been difficult for you, Virgil, and I know how hard it is to adjust to a life where you’re not being hurt… It makes you question everything you do, as if you have too much control… but one day, you will have adjusted. You’re allowed to take your time. It’s supposed to take time.”

Virgil could have cried.

Here he was, trying to make his Papa angry because he didn’t know how to cope with adjusting to his new family, and Logan just hits the nail on the head and makes it all okay without hurting him. 

“Perhaps Patton is better equipped to handle the comforting side this conversation… would you like me to fetch him?” Logan asked. Virgil found himself nodding. He wanted a hug. Logan ruffled Virgil’s hair fondly before standing and leaving the room to find his husband. As Virgil shifted himself on the sofa, his arm knocked the laptop off the edge, sending it crashing to the floor. Virgil froze.

“Oh, no…”

Not now. Not after Logan had been so kind about it all… He didn’t want to be punished now, not after what Logan said...  

Virgil scrambled off the sofa, picking the laptop up and putting it back. The screen was filled with black and blue stripes, with a few green and black ones, and the screen itself was cracked. It didn’t look good. 

_ “What the fuck did you do?!” _

_ “I-I’m sorry-!” _

_ “You will be sorry, you stupid little shit! Look what you did to my games! Do you know how much a game costs?” _

_ “I-I have money…” _

_ “Give it to me, all of it. You  owe me!” _

_ “O-Okay…” _

_ “Fucking useless piece of shi-” _

“Virgil?” Logan knelt in front of Virgil, who was wearing an expression of mixed fear and confusion. “Virgil, it’s Logan, focus on my voice for me.”

“What’s wrong with him…?” Patton asked fearfully.

“I believe he’s having a flashback. Whatever happened with the laptop has triggered him. Perhaps he was punished after a similar incident with Luke...”

“Like how I panicked when I dropped that glass?”

“Precisely, though this seems more than a panic attack. This could be PTSD related… Your panic was due to fear of how I would react. Virgil’s panic seems… episodic.”

“Maybe he needs a hug-”

“No, Patton, don’t-!”

Virgil screamed. No sooner had Patton’s hand touched Virgil’s shoulder, Virgil let out the most heartbreaking, ear-splitting shriek of fear. 

“No! No! Don’t hurt me! I’ll be good! I promise I’ll be good!” Virgil cried, struggling against an imaginary grip. Patton could ebar it no longer. Despite Logan’s warnings, he threw his arms around Virgil and held him gently, whispering sweet nothings and the boy sobbed and struggled against him. 

Eventually, he wore himself out and gave up, going limp in Patton’s arms. Patton shifted looking down at the trembling boy in his arms.

“Virgil, honey…?” Patton whispered. Virgil flinched and looked up. “You know who I am, right?”

“P-Patton… Dad…” Virgil trembled. “A-and Papa… I-I’m sorry I broke your laptop, Papa...”

“Virgil, do not worry about that. The important thing is that you are alright. Are you injured at all?”

“No. I just… thought I was with Uncle Lou again.” Virgil shivered. “But I’m not.”

“No, you’re not.” Logan smiled, placing a hand on Virgil’s shoulder. Patton hugged the boy closer.

“Aww, Kiddo, I’m so sorry you went through so much…”

“It’ll get better though… right, Papa?” Virgil looked up at Logan hopefully. Logan nodded.

“One day, yes. It’s okay to take your time.”

 


End file.
